Talk about it.

Headlines

Global warming is in the news a lot. What do you know about it?

The rate of the increase in temperature is increasing. This means that in the next 100 years, the average temperature is likely to increase by more than 1°C.

In the past century, the average temperature has risen by 1°C. This might not sound like very much, but this increase has had a huge impact on our planet.

What Is Global Warming?

Global warming (a large part of climate change) is the increase in temperature of Earth. Hotter weather might sound lovely but the realityis very different.

Have you ever been in a greenhouse? Even on a cold day, the temperature inside a greenhouse will be warmer than outside. Sunlight goes through the glass and the heat is trapped inside. Greenhouse gases do the same thing, acting like a blanket around the Earth, keeping heat in.

Greenhouse gases occur naturally. The average global temperature is around 15°C. Without greenhouse gases, scientists estimate that the temperature would be -18 °C!

However, human activity is causing more greenhouse gases, which means the temperature is increasing by too much.

What Causes Global Warming?

Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases. These gases include carbon dioxide, ozone, methane and water vapour.

They are burnt in power stations to make electricity and are used to run cars.

When fossil fuels are burnt, carbon dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.

Humans Make Pollution

Human activity that has increased levels of greenhouse gases include the use of fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are things such as coal, gas and oil.

Humans Cut-Down Trees

Deforestation (cutting down huge areas of trees for different reasons, such as using the wood for fuel, building houses or factories) is another cause. Trees absorb carbon dioxide. Fewer trees means more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Animals, such as cows, release a greenhouse gas called methane when they burp and break wind (that’s the polite term for it, you can probably think of other terms).Fertilisers that farmers use to help plants grow well and pesticides to keep insects away release greenhouse gases.

Humans Produce Food

Farming is important and without it we wouldn’t have food. However, some types of farming are contributing to global warming because of the greenhouse gases they produce.

The world’s population is over 7 billion and it is continuing to grow at a fast rate. This means more food is needed, so more farming is done. This means even more greenhouse gases are being produced.

When ice melts, it turns to water. The melting polar ice caps are causing sea levels across the world to rise. Sea levels are rising at around 0.3cm per year. This could see coastal areas flooded, leaving less land to live on and grow food on.

Global Warming Melts Ice

Global warming is causing ice at both the North and South Poles to melt. This means animals, such as polar bears, penguins and seals, are losing their habitats.

More heat causes increase in evaporation of ocean water which in turn increases the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. This leads to more extreme weather, such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

Hotter temperatures will result in droughts. Droughts not only mean less water for people to drink but also less water to produce crops for both humans and animals.

Global Warming = Hotter Temperatures

Reduce, reuse and recycle! Although recycling is very important, people need to think more about the first two parts of that phrase. Reduce the amount of waste you create and reuse whatever you can.

Being Green

Saving electricity is a great way to be more green. You can achieve this by doing simple things, such as switching the lights off when you leave a room. (Make sure other people are not still in there!)

Appliances, such as TVs and computers, should be properly switched off and not left on stand-by when not being used. You could ask the grown-ups you live with to use energy-saving lightbulbs.

Buying locally-grown food is another great way to be more green. When food from the other side of the world is transported on aeroplanes to our country, lots of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere from engines of aeroplanes. A lorry transportingvegetables from a few miles down the road is much more environmentally-friendly.

Being More Green

Living an environmentally-friendly life is the best way to help the planet. Using less plastic and walking or cycling rather than using a car makes a big difference.